The 83-year-old Carter walked into this highly volatile pro-Sudanese government town to meet refugees too frightened to attend a scheduled meeting at a nearby compound. He was able to make it to a school where he met with one tribal representative and was preparing to go further into the town when Sudanese security officers stopped him.
"You can't go. It's not on the program!" the local security chief, who only gave his first name as Omar, yelled at Carter, who is in Darfur as part of a delegation of respected international figures known as "The Elders."
"We're going to anyway!" an angry Carter retorted as a crowd began to gather. "You don't have the power to stop me."
U.N. officials told Carter's entourage the Sudanese state police could bar his way. Carter's traveling companions, billionaire businessman Richard Branson and Graca Machel, the wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela, tried to ease his frustration and his Secret Service detail urged him to get into a car and leave.
You will notice that Jimmy Carter does not shrink from confronting dangerous people. Even at 83 years old, he is willing to put his personal safety as risk to help the people who are being suppressed and murdered.
I imagine if Carter were my President he would have been eager to debate Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, either here in the United States or in Iran. And he would have dealt with him with a respectful but firm attitude.
This is the difference between a statesman and a politician.
that is one hell of a Winnibago ride, the Entourage- Mandela's wife, and Richard Branson and Rev Tutu....
ReplyDeleteI think that Jimmy kicks ass...I too wish he was OUR President....sigh...a man with a brain and a soul...
Keep blogging it.....you are doing a good job storming the Castle...
okay I have to go check and see if Darth is back there wreaking havoc...I will be back..